The 2015 Australasian Masters' held in Melbourne in December proved a happy hunting ground for grandmaster norms. IM Max Illingworth of Sydney was not to be denied his third and final norm to qualify for the grandmaster title. He reached the required score of 6½ after only seven rounds of the nine-round GM event. Thereafter he only needed to turn up to play to earn the title, and finished on 7/9. Amazingly this score was eclipsed by young Azeri IM Kanan Izzat, who is studying in Melbourne. He finished first on 7½ points also recording his first GM norm. Illingworth was second and GM Arturs Neiksans of Latvia third on 6½. Former New Zealand Junior champion, IM Igor Bjelobrk, now of Sydney, made no contest of the concurrent IM event, winning with an outstanding 8½/9. Today's game features Izzat as White with a blistering attack against Russian GM Vasily Papin from the second round at Melbourne. 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nf6
The main alternative in the main line Caro Kann is 7... Nd7, not allowing the white knight to get to e5, after the text Black must take care. 8.Ne5 Bh7 9.Bd3! Bxd3
The d-pawn is poisoned as 9... Qxd4?! 10.Nxf7! Rg8 (the knight is immune: 10... Kxf7?? 11.Bg6+! wins the queen) 11.Bxh7 Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 Nxh7 13.Ng5! leads to a better ending for White. 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.f4!
Maintaining the knight on the e5 outpost, as any exchanges open the f-file for White. 11... e6 12.Bd2 c5 13.O-O-O cxd4?!
Avoiding the 'book' sacrifice 13... Be7 14.d5!? which secures either the f5 or h5 square for White's knight and excellent attacking chances for the pawn. However this or 13... Qc7 was better than the text, after which Black's king gets stranded in the centre. 14.Ng6! Rg8
Obviously not 14... fxg6?? 15.Qxg6+ Ke7 16.Bb4+ winning back the piece and much more. 15.Nxf8 Nxf8 16.Rhe1 Qd5 17.Qa3! d3
Unable to castle queenside due to the hanging a-pawn, Black plays to eliminate the f4 pawn. Another try was 17... Ng6 trying to activate his remaining pieces, though after 18.Bc3! Nxh4 19.Bxd4 Qc4 20.f5! White has a powerful attack for the sacrificed pawn. 18.Bb4 Qc4 19.Rxd3 Qxf4+ 20.Kb1
Even more convincing was 20.Bd2! Qxh4 21.Nf5 threatening the queen and mate, forcing 21... Qxe1+ 22.Bxe1 exf5, but White's attack prevails after 23.Qd6! with too many threats for Black to stop. 20... a5?
Weakening the a4-e8 diagonal allows White to strengthen the attack. After 20... a6! (20... N8d7 is similar), White would have to find 21.Rf3! Qxh4 22.Nf5! Qxe1+! (22... Qg4 23.Bxf8 wins) 23.Bxe1 exf5 when White still has the upper hand but no immediate win and the slightest mistake could allow Black's extra material to count. 21.Ne4! Ra6
Or 14... Nxe4?? 15.Qa4+ mating. There is no defence and White can choose between a number of ways to win. 22.Bxa5 N8d7 23.Qa4 Rc6
Most tenacious was the startling 23... Qc7! when 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.Bxc7! Rxa4 26.Red1 Nf8 27.Rd8+ Ke7 28.Rb8! (threatening 29.Bd8+ Ke8 30.Bxf6#) 28... e5 29.Bd6+ wins the knight. 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.Red1 Nc5
Allowing a sparkling finish, but 25... Qe7 26.Qd4 and the knight is lost. 26.Rd8+ Ke7 27.Rxg8! Resigns
Black is a rook down and 27... Nxa4 28.Bd8 mate would be a fitting end.
Australia's newest grandmaster
Problem: Black to play and mate in 5.
The 2015 Australasian Masters' held in Melbourne in December proved a happy hunting ground for grandmaster norms. IM Max Illingworth of Sydney was not to be denied his third and final norm to qualify for the grandmaster title. He reached the required score of 6½ after only seven rounds of the nine-round GM event. Thereafter he only needed to turn up to play to earn the title, and finished on 7/9. Amazingly this score was eclipsed by young Azeri IM Kanan Izzat, who is studying in Melbourne. He finished first on 7½ points also recording his first GM norm. Illingworth was second and GM Arturs Neiksans of Latvia third on 6½. Former New Zealand Junior champion, IM Igor Bjelobrk, now of Sydney, made no contest of the concurrent IM event, winning with an outstanding 8½/9.
Today's game features Izzat as White with a blistering attack against Russian GM Vasily Papin from the second round at Melbourne.
1.e4 c6
2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 dxe4
4.Nxe4 Bf5
5.Ng3 Bg6
6.h4 h6
7.Nf3 Nf6
The main alternative in the main line Caro Kann is 7... Nd7, not allowing the white knight to get to e5, after the text Black must take care.
8.Ne5 Bh7
9.Bd3! Bxd3
The d-pawn is poisoned as 9... Qxd4?! 10.Nxf7! Rg8 (the knight is immune: 10... Kxf7?? 11.Bg6+! wins the queen) 11.Bxh7 Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 Nxh7 13.Ng5! leads to a better ending for White.
10.Qxd3 Nbd7
11.f4!
Maintaining the knight on the e5 outpost, as any exchanges open the f-file for White.
11... e6
12.Bd2 c5
13.O-O-O cxd4?!
Avoiding the 'book' sacrifice 13... Be7 14.d5!? which secures either the f5 or h5 square for White's knight and excellent attacking chances for the pawn. However this or 13... Qc7 was better than the text, after which Black's king gets stranded in the centre.
14.Ng6! Rg8
Obviously not 14... fxg6?? 15.Qxg6+ Ke7 16.Bb4+ winning back the piece and much more.
15.Nxf8 Nxf8
16.Rhe1 Qd5
17.Qa3! d3
Unable to castle queenside due to the hanging a-pawn, Black plays to eliminate the f4 pawn. Another try was 17... Ng6 trying to activate his remaining pieces, though after 18.Bc3! Nxh4 19.Bxd4 Qc4 20.f5! White has a powerful attack for the sacrificed pawn.
18.Bb4 Qc4
19.Rxd3 Qxf4+
20.Kb1
Even more convincing was 20.Bd2! Qxh4 21.Nf5 threatening the queen and mate, forcing 21... Qxe1+ 22.Bxe1 exf5, but White's attack prevails after 23.Qd6! with too many threats for Black to stop.
20... a5?
Weakening the a4-e8 diagonal allows White to strengthen the attack. After 20... a6! (20... N8d7 is similar), White would have to find 21.Rf3! Qxh4 22.Nf5! Qxe1+! (22... Qg4 23.Bxf8 wins) 23.Bxe1 exf5 when White still has the upper hand but no immediate win and the slightest mistake could allow Black's extra material to count.
21.Ne4! Ra6
Or 14... Nxe4?? 15.Qa4+ mating. There is no defence and White can choose between a number of ways to win.
22.Bxa5 N8d7
23.Qa4 Rc6
Most tenacious was the startling 23... Qc7! when 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.Bxc7! Rxa4 26.Red1 Nf8 27.Rd8+ Ke7 28.Rb8! (threatening 29.Bd8+ Ke8 30.Bxf6#) 28... e5 29.Bd6+ wins the knight.
24.Nxf6+ Qxf6
25.Red1 Nc5
Allowing a sparkling finish, but 25... Qe7 26.Qd4 and the knight is lost.
26.Rd8+ Ke7
27.Rxg8! Resigns
Black is a rook down and 27... Nxa4 28.Bd8 mate would be a fitting end.
1-0
Solution: 1... Be5+! 2.Nxe5 (2.g3 Qxf2#) 2... Qg1+ 3.Kg3 Qxf2+ 4.Kg4 (4.Kh2 Qf4+ 5.g3 Qf2#) 4... Qf4+ 5.Kh5 Qg5#.